The Wonder of Tech

You are here: Home / Cell Phones / Android / Fun Apps to Entertain (and Educate) Your Child

/

Fun Apps to Entertain (and Educate) Your Child

The estimated reading time for this post is 4 minutes

Page 2

<= Go back to Page 1

GEOGRAPHY

Geography Drive USA

Geography Drive USA teaches your children about US geography by taking them on a virtual road trip across the country. The app quizzes your child on state capitals, postal abbreviations, nicknames, statehood dates and other information about states. Players earn virtual money by answering questions correctly.  They can use their virtual money at fuel stations and airports so they can travel around the country and explore each state.

Geography Drive USA Kids App

The game has a Visitor Center where your children can study up on facts of each state to help answer the questions in the quizzes. The Visitor Center is loaded with fun facts, graphics and animation that are interesting even if you’re not playing the game.

The app saves up to three different profiles so your kids can all play the game and have their individual progress saved. Players can earn trophies for successful answers and upgrade their vehicles and paint them custom colors. The app has tips and reminders to guide your children through playing the game.

Within the app are three bonus games, included at no extra charge.

Geography Drive USA is available for $4.99 for iPad in the iTunes App Store. December 18-19, this app will be on sale for $2.99, along with other apps by this developer, including Operation Math, on sale for $1.99, and Operation Math: Code Squad, on sale for $0.99, both reviewed by The Wonder of Tech in Four Apps that Help Kids Love to Learn!

 

COLORS

Blendamaze

If you want to teach your children colors while entertaining them with an addictive and fun app, check out Blendamaze. This app teaches primary, secondary and tertiary colors in a realistic maze game. You are given marbles in primary colors which you need to roll around the maze and dip in the proper paint bucket(s) then in the final hole to earn stars to unlock the next level.

Beginning levels are useful for younger children to learn primary colors. Higher levels are fun for older children and adults to blend colors by rolling the marbles into the correct combination of paint colors to get the desired hue.

Blendamaze iOS App

Learning the game is simple, yet mastering it is challenging. You can repeat levels so younger children can have fun navigating the maze with primary colors. Older children and adults will have fun unlocking new levels as they master secondary and tertiary colors.

Here’s a video demonstrating the game:

http://youtu.be/ieYtv06F2G4

In-app purchases are available if you want to unlock new levels without earning them, but what fun is that?

Blendamaze is available for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch from the iTunes App Store for $1.99.

SOCIAL SKILLS

Middle School Confidential 2: Real Friends vs. the Other Kind

Older kids need to be entertained too and the Middle School Confidential series is a way to entertain your middle school kids while teaching them valuable lessons. I first reviewed Middle School Confidential in Be Confident! An Interactive App for Tweens, but since then another Middle School Confidential book has been released as an app: Real Friends vs. the Other Kind.

This series turns graphic novels into interactive apps that teach moral lessons in an engaging way. Your kids will follow the stories about tough situations which may seem very familiar to them. This app, the second in the series teaches the very important lesson of how to recognize who is truly your friend. Imagine the heartache that could be avoided if your child learned early how to recognize true friendship and how to be a true friend.

Here’s a video demonstrating the app:

Middle School Confidential 2: Real Friends vs. the Other Kind is available  for $2.99 for

Are You My Friend?

This read-along book by the author of Middle School Confidential teaches younger kids the meaning of friendship. Part of the Raymond and Sheila series of books, Are You My Friend? teaches friendship skills to children ages 4-8.

Raymond and Sheila Friendship

The book includes narration with character voices, music and sound effects. The narration and music can be turned off if you want to read the book to your child.

Are You My Friend? is available:

Bottom Line

Learning through play makes education fun and interesting. If your kids are going to be playing games, they may as well be learning as they play.

Do your kids enjoy fun educational apps? Do they realize they are learning as they play? Do you like the idea of teaching children through games? Let us know in the Comments section below!

<= Go back to Page 1

Tweet175
Share
Share9
Pin90
274 Shares

Subscribe to The Wonder of Tech!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Harleena Singh says

    Awesome indeed Carolyn!

    I just love the way you compile such apps and tech stuff for all of us, which makes it so much easier for everyone and saves us the time to look around online for them. 🙂

    I’ve never used any of these when my kids were young, and even now when they are in their teens I need to monitor the amount of cell phone usage so that they concentrate more on their studies instead. However, I wish these were around when they were younger because such apps make learning much easier for younger kids – especially the Maths part of it! 🙂

    Thanks so much for sharing these with all of us – I would certainly be sharing this with my friends because many of them have young kid’s and would love to use these apps. 🙂

    • Carolyn Nicander Mohr says

      Hi Harleena, Yes, I wish they had these apps available when I was a kid! But at least they have them now so that this generation of children can learn while they play. Kids are drawn to apps so they may as well be using educational apps!

  2. Sapna says

    Hi Carolyn

    Marble maths and shake a phrase appears to be great apps, not used those yet. But surely will try once I have the tab.

    Thanks
    Sapna

  3. Mayura says

    Hi Carolyn,

    Nice list of applications and can be really helpful for kiddies 🙂 I have few cousins in my mind where I can send this one.

    Oops… Some still not landed on Android, no? 🙂 You remember I’ve told some friends switching to Android, they might need these. I just did a quick search for Splash Math. But couldn’t find. I’ll go again 🙂

    I like “Are You My Friend?” app and “Real Friends vs the Other Kind”. Geography one too, but I need one beyond US 😉 That must be very fun and addictive. Let me know if you have one suites to me (I’m under 8 ;)). And I’ll do search too…

    Ah… I need to tell you that Flight Update app was found helpful by 2 friends 🙂 I’ve sent your link rightaway. Thanks for great info. See, we can help each other 😉

    Cheers…

    • Carolyn Nicander Mohr says

      Hi Mayura, I’m so glad your friends were helped by Flight Update. It’s a very useful app for travelers and I’m sure they appreciated you sharing that information with them, as I appreciate you sharing as well, Mayura! (*)

      Yes, most of these apps are iOS only, but if the app developers know there is interest for these apps coming to Android, they may accommodate your wishes!

      So far, Geography Drive is USA only, but I could see possibilities for future apps all over the world! Thanks for suggesting that, Mayura. 🙂

  4. JONG says

    As a parent to be (soon), I am utmost worried about what type of contents on the digital media should my children be using in the future and I am so happy that Apple products especially the iOS apps have something for every level of consumer.

    These are great list Carolyn!

    Currently we use iPad to play children music to our 7 month baby. 🙂

    Cheers

    • Carolyn Nicander Mohr says

      Hi Jong, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! Congratulations on your pending arrival! You’re right, it’s difficult to know what apps are suitable for children, but I think the best apps for kids are the ones that teach while they entertain. I like to cover educational apps for kids here because those are the apps that kids will benefit from the most.

  5. Jeo says

    The apps described in this article are quite helpful to kids and they can help to sharpen the analytical ability of kids.The maths puzzle apps are really interesting and they can produce a sense of interest in kids towards mathematics subject.I think that most of the kids find boring because they are not guided properly.

    • Carolyn Nicander Mohr says

      Hi Joe, I’m so glad you like these apps. You’re right, kids who didn’t like math before may become engaged in the subject due to these apps. That would be very useful for a child not only in learning but in having an attitude adjustment about math!

  6. Missy says

    I am amazed at how my nephew and niece who are 5 and 4 respectively are so adept with tech, such as the iPhone and iPad. The nephew loves to play games on it, and even video. But am sure on the iPad, instructional games or apps as you mention above are also fun for them.

    Thanks for sharing the smart (and fun) apps above.

  8. Brian D. Meeks says

    I don’t have kids, but I whole heartily approve of any apps that teach math. Math is our friend. 🙂

  9. Geoff Talbot says

    These Apps are great Carolyn,

    It would be interesting to know a little about the research around “how much time” on these apps is healthy and unhealthy AND when can children start playing with mobile devices and computers etc.

    I know my one year old son is absolutely addicted to my phone… (Is this healthy for his development) and unfortunately he also loves dropping things onto our hardwood floor.

    Suggestions or advice people?

    Geoff

    • Carolyn Nicander Mohr says

      Hi Geoff, Well, the first thing I would advise you is to get a sturdy case for your phone. Your son won’t enjoy it so much if the screen is shattered. Check out Otterbox cases for a sturdy shell.

      You may want to take a look at this Mashable article about this very topic. http://mashable.com/2012/07/14/too-much-screen-time/ No matter what limits you put on your children, their time is probably better spent with apps that educate rather than any other apps.

      • Geoff Talbot says

        Unfortunately it is too late for my phone… 🙂 And to be fair it was not my son who broke it, it was the wall that ran into it.

        Definitely, will check out that article, I think it is all about balance and also remembering the great outdoors as well as the virtual world.

        You Rock

        Geoff

        • Carolyn Nicander Mohr says

          That’s definitely a problem with your wall then, Geoff. We see it all the time, though mostly with floors attacking phones rather than walls attacking them. 😉

          Thank you for your kind words!

  10. Mariya says

    Hey Carolyn, nice apps! My kid is not so good in math which bothers me a lot. He is in 2nd grade and I really want him to score well because I believe this is the most interesting and scoring subject. He is always busy with games in his iPhone. I think I should rather install this app and engage him doing math practice. Thanks for sharing this post. You really sorted out my problem. Please suggest some more math app if possible. Thanks!

  11. Jens P. Berget says

    I’m going to download the math apps for my daughter. She is 9 and got an iPad for Christmas 🙂

    • Carolyn Nicander Mohr says

      Hi Leena, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! I’m a mom too so I want to share tech that is helpful to kids. These apps help kids learn while having fun so they will love to learn. I hope your children enjoy these apps!

  13. lokesh says

    Carolyn, Kids at home always like to play inbuilt games which is only for fun & no learning. When i think of downloading apps always worried of unwanted advertisements, virus & not finding good apps for learning.
    You had listed very good learning apps which definitely would like to try & and divert them to have fun & gain knowledge by Learning.

    • Carolyn Nicander Mohr says

      Hi Lokesh, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! Yes, kids’ apps that have ads or in-app purchases can be frustrating for parents. I disclose this information in my reviews so parents can make their own choices.
      Sometimes in-app purchases can be very useful. For example, Splash Math is free, with in-app purchases available for different skills. You may save money on this over an app that contains all the skills buy has a higher purchase price.

      Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts, Lokesh!

  14. Thomas says

    Nowadays learning while you play seems like a new motto for the children. It is true though that it can be the best way to educate your child especially when he or she is moody and do not enjoy studying. These apps can surely turn learning into an interesting technique to enlighten the children.

    • Carolyn Nicander Mohr says

      Hi Thomas, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! You’re right, kids are learning through play a lot these days because they are so much more engaged that way. I wish we had these apps when we were kids!

  15. Amit says

    These games are really entertaining and knowledgeable. You can add Word Drop+ and Pocket Geometry in you list. Thanks for thinking out of the box.